More arrests of Croatian natl’s in deadly hooligan attack in Athens; relevant minister refers to ‘tragic failure’ by police to prevent incident

Another seven Croatian nationals were arrested on Tuesday afternoon at the border with Turkey, in extreme northeast mainland Greece, following last night’s unprecedented hooligan raid outside an Athens-area stadium.

The suspects were arrested at the Evzones border crossing, on the other side of northern Greece from where they crossed into the country early Monday, namely, the Kakavia border post on the northwest frontier with Albania.

The seven, all men, are suspected of being Dinamo Zagreb hooligans who attacked bystanders and fans of Athens AEK on Monday evening outside the latter’s Opap Arena home field in the Nea Philadelphia district. A local man, 29, was stabbed to death, while several people were injured, including a 13-year-old girl that sustained serious injuries.

Ninety-eight suspects were arrested in the subsequent hours, mostly Croatian nationals, along with about a dozen Greek citizens – allegedly from an Athens-area team and AEK rival – and a handful of men of other nationalities.

The seven suspects were travelling in a van that also carried knives and bats, Greek police said.

Meanwhile, Albanian media on Tuesday referred to another Croatian national, 19, intercepted at the Kakavia boder post as he was trying to exit Greece. This individual is also implicated in the same clashes. Earlier, authorities in Athens detained another three Croatian nationals who checked into a downtown hotel.

A manhunt is underway in the country for any remaining suspects involved in the extreme hooligan violence, with roughly 150 believed to have been in the convoy of Dinamo Zagreb hooligans, along with 15 to 20 local men.
Intense media scrutiny, including foreign coverage, has now centered on how Greek police authorities allowed a convoy of vehicles (a coach, vans and passengers cars) with Croatian plates, and carrying only young men, to cross half of Greece amid suspicions over their intent, statements by several suspects at the Kakavia border post that they were headed for the AEK Athens-Dinamo Zagreb third round CL qualifying match – although no away team fans were allowed – and even direct warnings from foreign law enforcement bodies.

Seven high-ranking police commanders were sacked on Tuesday, although their removal from command posts doesn’t necessarily mean dismissal from the force.
The in.gr news portal, for instance, published a document sent by Montenegro authorities to their Greek counterparts on Monday, explicitly warning of the hooligan convoy and offering precise information on the vehicles carrying the trouble-makers.

In commenting on the torrent of revelations and amid the fallout of the latest Greek police “hiccup”, relevant minister Yiannis Economou, who’s been in office for less than a month, merely said that “there was information that was not exploited.”

Speaking on a private television newscast on Tuesday, Economou, who holds the citizens’ protection portfolio – a euphemism for the public order ministry – referred to two “conflicting faces of Greek Police (EL.AS)” — ineptitude, in the first case, for failing to exploit solid intelligence and take preventative measures, followed by a quick reaction and scores of arrests, as he said.

He also referred to a “high probability” that the perpetrator or perpetrators of the fatal stabbing are among those arrested.

Pressed over the culpability of Greek Police (EL.AS) in failing to prevent the violence, he said “…the process of assigning responsibilities at all levels has begun. And with my statement this morning I said what every citizen says: It was unacceptable; a convoy pass through half of Greece and no one stopped them.”

Asked whether he’s considering a resignation, he said “I would have no problem resigning if it was a matter of political planning. Every minister is not a police officer; he’s behind the operational aspects of how to make a plan that stops hooligans. Quitting would be the easy way out. I take responsibility…” he said.